The man responsible for overseeing racing in NSW is ready and willing to meet with the Murrumbidgee Turf Club if they want to look at the Wagga Gold Cup moving to a ‘stand-alone Saturday’ meeting.
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The success of last week’s carnival prompted leading jockey Tye Angland to call for the Gold Cup to move to a Saturday, replacing the metropolitan Sydney meeting.
In Wagga on Friday, NSW Minister for Racing, Paul Toole, said he had received glowing reports of Cup week.
“I understand the importance that events like this bring, they’re certainly a big boost to the local economy,” Toole said.
“They provide jobs and, at the end of the day, we just want to see country racing continue to grow.
“As the Minister for Racing, I’m always looking at new ideas, initiatives that are being put forward and certainly I’d be very happy to sit down with the (MTC) president and the board to talk about what their plans might be into the future as well.”
Prizemoney and scheduling are major hurdles. While Cup day at Wagga had only two races worth $80,000 or more (the MTC Guineas and the $150,000 Gold Cup).
In comparison, this Saturday’s ‘stand-alone’ meeting at Scone has six races worth at least $150,000, including the $400,000 Inglis Guineas.
But it’s food for thought for the MTC.
“We’re very happy for the Wagga club to be able to sit down, put forward a proposal and to actually put that forward to Racing NSW,” Toole said.
“I’d be encouraging the president and the board to sit down and actually at look at ways in which to grow it. And we’d be certainly very keen to sit down with them and look at ways in which they can look at wanting to promote and only enhance country racing here in the Wagga Wagga area.”
Toole, who was in Wagga to launch the Ask for Angela campaign with the Wagga Liquor Accord, said NSW racing has been transformed in recent years by prizemoney increases and the introduction of the Country Championships.
“There’s no doubt that the Country Championships have lifted the quality of racing, the quality of horses, owners, trainers and breeders that are actually travelling to regional and rural racetracks to compete,” Toole said.
“Importantly, though, we must look after racing in the country. It’s important that we grow racing in the country to ensure at the end of the day, we’re going to have the quality of horses still competing and racing in metropolitan areas.”
